


You're my Sweetest Nightingale

by EAI



Series: Tissues Required [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Len Sings, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pete Teo's I Go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 21:43:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11472273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EAI/pseuds/EAI
Summary: It took a lot of courage to sing Lisa’s favorite song to a crowd of dozens, and it was painful to see him like this. He could hear Len silently screaming, suffering all alone against the quiet war within his mind, as he sang out the words.“The long December rain is falling now, running down on streets to nowhere,” Len’s voice cracked when he finally spotted him and their friends among the crowd, smiling for him and supporting him. Barry mouthed, ‘you can do it’, bringing his hand to his chest. “Music is my life – you’re my sweetest nightingale, but I can’t hear it here no more."Pete Teo's I Go.





	You're my Sweetest Nightingale

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd, English is not my first language.
> 
> A good friend of mine introduced this song to me, and it stuck in my head apparently. Enjoy!
> 
> CLICK, CLICK! :: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhqh-IWIwY

 

—the machines beeped subtly, her heartbeat waned as he brought their clutched hands to his forehead. He stared blankly at the white layer that covered his sister’s thin body, ignoring the sterile smell and blinked when he realized that his cheeks were damp. Len tried to stop the tears but he couldn’t, they just kept falling. His body then shook at the thought of Lisa leaving him all alone, gasping at each breath he took.

“…why are you crying?”

He exhaled, and answered her honestly. “Because I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you so damn much… a-and I don’t know what I’ll do without you. I-I can’t seem to stop—“

“Lenny.”

Len looked up to her, and she was smiling at him – small as it might be, it was enough. “Sing for me?”

*

Barry reclined on one of the chairs outside Lisa’s room, his head bumped against the wall as he swallowed the lump that was caught in his throat – listening to Len’s wistful singing of his sister’s favorite song. He shut his eyes tightly, committing the song’s melancholic melody to memory, as Len’s gentle voice mismatched the hospital’s bleak environment and in all its quietness. The song was poetic in a way, words fashioned beautifully into its soft harmony, grieving but full of meaning. He didn’t have the heart to disturb such an intimate moment between siblings, and so, he decided to wait for how long it might take. It was an hour later, after an awful coffee from the cafeteria, did Barry quietly slip into the room and found both siblings sound asleep. Len was out cold on his sister’s bed, holding on to dear Lisa protectively as she struggled for her life.

It was both endearing and upsetting at the same time.

It had been three months since Lisa was admitted to the hospital, to a disease so common yet incurable. And unfortunately, her time was nearing. Barry understood Len’s need to be with his sister, understood all the sacrifices he made just to see the smile – even a small one – curved on Lisa’s face.

Barry grasped Lisa’s trembling hand, the corners of his lips pulled when he felt her twitching and returning to hold his. Then he ran his fingers through Len’s close-cropped hair, leaning down and kissed his temple.

*

_He found a quaint pub in the city and without thinking much, he dragged poor Cisco there – hoping that the pub would somehow remedy his best friend’s broken heart. Barry didn’t know what exactly drew him to go there, but when he first stepped in, something about this small old place reminded him of home. The atmosphere was vintage; with faery lights lining along the brick walls and stacked in jars of all sizes, dim yellow lights hanging from the rafters gave out brown and golden hues of warmth and ease. The drinks, on the other hand, were delicious – addictive blend of spirits and sodas. The regulars were welcoming, young and old, couples and singles. It was nice. The workers, too, when Barry got too tired of Cisco’s drama-queen tendency, were sweet enough to lend their ears to his blubbering sonnets about his ex-girlfriend._

_The memorable thing was, Barry met Len that same night._

_The pub’s owner would hire freelance musicians to perform at his lounge every Friday night, and Barry counted all his lucky stars that he got to witness Len’s breathtaking performance. He was one of the pub’s regular singers, and the audience loved him as they clapped their hands and cheered when he climbed up the few steps – sat down of the wooden stool, listed out all the songs he would sing for the night and simply sang. Len’s voice sent shivers down his spine, a heavenly tune followed by the gentle strumming of his acoustic guitar. And his eyes, his beautiful pair of blues were filled with so much emotions that Barry was dying to know._

_He learned from the bartender then when he was caught mesmerized by the singer on stage, that Len had a sad, troubling past – and that his life, now, wasn’t that much better. Unconsciously, Barry found out a lot more in just a short amount of time._

_Weeks were spent visiting the pub, until Barry managed to snag himself a decent conversation with Len. It grew from there, much to his liking, and he got to know Len more privately. And simply befriending him, resulted in their friends’ infamous hook-ups – where Caitlin dated the grumpy but sweet-hearted Mick, and the broken-hearted Cisco wasn’t so broken-hearted anymore ever since Len introduced Hartley to him._

*

Lisa was buried at the cemetery beside her mother’s grave. She had left the world not too long ago, leaving a grief-stricken brother behind.

Not many were invited because Len wasn’t there for her burial. Big-headed relatives were furious for Len’s absence, but his friends knew him too much that they came to the funeral at his stead. Len had shut everyone out of his life ever since Lisa passed away. He locked himself in his apartment all alone, not seen by his neighbors, any of his friends and Barry included, ignored their calls and texts – everything.

Until the twentieth day bid farewell at sunset, did Barry find Len at the cemetery – losing himself in the storm of despair and loneliness. Barry called him softly, moving behind Len before enveloping the man into his arms. Len tensed a little, but calmed and collapsed against his chest when Barry whispered to his listening ears—

“—I’m here… okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

*

Months later, after a series of breakdowns and declarations of love, it was finally Friday night again.

Barry and the others (Iris and Eddie, Caitlin and Mick, Wally and Jessie, and Cisco and Hartley) arrived to their all-time favorite pub, sat at their usual table, greeted the owner and the employees, and ordered their favorite drinks. Tonight was Len’s session after so many months, and Barry might or might not have told him that very morning that he was coming. They talked a little, patiently waiting for Len’s turn.

And when he came up on stage and nervously sat down with Lisa’s guitar cradled in his arms, he cleared his throat. “I dedicate this song to my late sister. I promised her that I would sing this… for one more time. Enjoy.”

Barry fixed his eyes to Len only – honestly, he was very proud of him. It took a lot of courage to simply show up tonight. Len took a deep breath, plucking the guitar strings slowly, finding the right melody and sang.

“ _So long, fare thee well_  
_the dancer and the dancing days have taken leave and fell._  
_So turn down, this bed of stone_  
_quench me with the deadly nightshade from the rose that you belong._

_The long December rain is falling now_  
_running down on streets to nowhere._  
_Music is my life – you’re my sweetest nightingale_  
_but I can’t hear it here no more._

_And I go,  
I go_.”

None of their friends nor the audience had ever heard of this song before, it was a little piece of happiness that Len was willing to share with the world.

“ _Hush now, don’t shake or break_  
_words have fallen silent like soldiers to the grave._  
_No matter, what they do or say_  
_lay me on the sleepy meadows by the tracks upon your face.”_

It took a lot of courage to sing Lisa’s favorite song to a crowd of dozens, and it was painful to see him like this. He could hear Len silently screaming, suffering all alone against the quiet war within his mind, as he sang out the words.

_“The long December rain is falling now, running down on streets to nowhere_ ,” Len’s voice cracked when he finally spotted him and their friends among the crowd, smiling for him and supporting him. Barry mouthed, ‘ **you can do it’** , bringing his hand to his chest. “ _Music is my life – you’re my sweetest nightingale, but I can’t hear it here no more._

_And I go,  
I go. _

_The long December rain is falling now_  
_running down on streets to nowhere._  
_Music is my life – you’re my sweetest nightingale_  
_but I can’t hear it here no more._

_And I go,  
I go.”_

Most of the watching crowd cried and applauded, the employees too, by the time Len finished the song. Len wiped his tears with his sleeves as he rested Lisa’s guitar on the floor and dropped down the stage to meet Barry half-way. Barry embraced him as tightly as he could, as Len wrapped his arms around his neck.

Minutes went by, the world felt like their own. And Barry, made it his mission, to make sure Len was never lonely anymore.

 


End file.
